This is the Party that will be all the Rage in 2009

I have the secret inside scoop. So please handle the following highly classified information with extreme care. I can’t give you names and dates – that would put my life in jeopardy – but I can tell you this. Through a bunch of random, serendipitous, and chance meetings, emails, and conversations I have discovered what THE big celebration/party event is for 2009.

Disco Roller Parties will be all the rage in 2009. So if you want to be hipper than hip, the coolest of the cool, on the very cutting edge of all things awesome, make your next party a Disco Roller Party. Rent out a roller rink. Apparently this is quite easy. Hire the roller rink DJ, then either supply the funky 70’s tunes or see if your DJ can dig them up. Get some cool disco party decorations and have your guests wear their best disco, 70’s or 80’s outfits.

When your friends arrive whether wearing their flared pants, afro wigs, and sequined shirts, or tube tops, short shorts and striped socks, they’ll be ready to get down. Just have the drinks ready and the funky music blasting and the rest will be party history.

Top 10 Romantic, One-of-a-Kind, Valentine’s Day Gifts

The day of love and romance is fast approaching. Do you want to settle for flowers and chocolates this Valentine's Day as the gift to show your special someone how wonderful and loved and important they are to you? Sorry, but in my expert opinion, while flowers are beautiful and chocolates are sweet, they really show no imagination. You gotta do something at least bit different to show someone they are really special to you. The idea is to show your valentine, that of all of the people on planet earth, they are the only one you are interested in. A one-of-a-kind gift is the perfect way to tell your sweetheart that they are unique, matchless, and one-of-a kind in your heart and life.

I’ve scoured the web, consulted the most gifted minds, and even done some brainstorming all on my own, and here are - my Top 10 Romantic One-of-a-Kind Valentine’s Day Gifts. Any one of these will show your heartthrob just how much you really care and how lucky you are to have them in your life. Just a note: I’ve left out all the “gifts” that are more experience-oriented. I’ll cover these on the Top 10 Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day.

1. A Bottle of Memories. Memories on a Bottle will etch a personal message on a bottle of wine for you. Even better, for couples who have some history together, take an elegant bottle (perhaps the champagne or wine bottle from a special night out) and fill it with slips of parchment on which you have written individual memories of your time together.

2. A Romantic Bouquet of Cookies. You can buy custom cookie bouquets of heart-shaped cookies that are brightly iced with fun or romantic messages that you can personalize. This makes a thoughtful (and yummy!) gift.

3. Jewelry Done Right. If you are going to do jewelry (a long time favorite and an old stand by), make yours extra special by making it very personal. Choose a style or design that really fits your sweetheart. Or have it custom made with two interlocking hearts, or other symbols that are particular to the two of you. The best way to make a gift of jewelry really romantic is with a special inscription – and not “Valentine’s Day 2009.”

4. Framed Photo of You. Oh, but you can’t stop there. It has to be one of a kind. It has to be romantic and special. So add a lipstick kiss on the photo, a message, a favorite line from a song or poem, or a saying or quote that means something special to your valentine. The saying could be something that just the both of you get the true meaning of.

5. Framed Photo of You Two. Choose a photo from a special moment, place, date, or trip. Put the photo on one side and a piece of parchment on the other. Use your computer or have someone handwrite out a poem, saying, lines from song or poem, something about special a moment or milestone, or a special message.

6. Love Note in a Bottle. Pour your heart out on paper (a nice piece of

parchment), roll it up and place it in a decorative bottle. You can really go all out with this idea, by offering to draw a bath for your sweetheart then floating the bottle in a bathtub you’ve prepared. Picture this - a tub filled with nice warm water, bubble bath, candlelight, a glass of wine, soft romantic music playing, and a flower arrangement or petals surrounding the bath Now you can complete the moment by having a super-soft brand new towel, and some lingerie to slip into afterward. You can also go to Love Notes Messages and choose a really great bottle and have your words put inside.

7. Love Reminders. Engrave small stones or pewter shapes with words or a short phrase. You can give a single stone that will fit in the pocket or purse – “pocket rocks”. Or make bigger ones to be displayed around the house. Beach rocks are great for this. Or create a collection of engraved river rocks, each one listing a trait or feature you love about your sweetheart. Place them in a very cool glass dish or bowl and, presto, you’ve got an amazingly cool gift that tells him/her what you think about them.

8. Journey Journal – Put together a small journal that holds pictures of events from your relationship. Include things you love about him/her, favorite memories, milestone events, trips, concert, airplane or movie tickets from places you’ve gone together. Include your words, thoughts, and feeling along with inspirational or romantic sayings, song lyrics or lines from a poem.

9. Photo Book – With just a few clicks, you can create a high quality, totally professional photo book. Upload photos of the two of you at different stages of your relationship, maybe even include some photos of places you want to go together. Check out Kodak or Shutterfly.

10. Compose It. If you have a particular talent – let’s say in music, singing, writing, drawing, painting, sculpture, etc – use it to create at totally unique gift for the love of your life. Write and record a song just for him/her, write a story or poem, draw, paint or sculpt something just for her/him.

Yep, creating a personalized, unique gift takes more time. Your words and thoughts are the best presents. These are ways to capture them and preserve them. The time and effort you take to put them together will speak volumes about the way you feel about your valentine.

Jack-O-Licious

Love it or hate it, I bet you watched at least some of it. The Rose Parade takes over television sets across America on the first day of every year. It wouldn't be a new year without it. There's always something in the parade for everyone. Personally, I take the marching bands and equestrian processions as my time to visit the bathroom. There are two things that I really like - really creative floats and totally cool costumes.




The Jack-O-licious float got my attention. It had the big (headed) man himself, Jack, in the middle of a floating Disco Party. Perfect for the New Year since disco parties are such a popular theme for New Year's Eve parties. You had to just love Jack's band, looking all Saturday Night Live-ish! This is the ultimate disco suit - it says shake your groove-thang like no other. Next time you are heading for a disco theme party, keep the Jack-O-Licious float in mind. Dress yourself up in a disco suit, in a glitter shirt, or a wild disco dress and you'll be ready to go.